Middle-distance great talks about his “spiritual father” Roger Bannister, Eliud Kipchoge’s longevity, super shoes and why Jakob Ingebrigtsen has potential to break his longstanding world records
A quarter of a century has passed since Hicham El Guerrouj went on a world record-breaking spree in Rome. In July 1998 the Moroccan clocked 3:26.00 for 1500m before returning to the Italian capital 12 months later to run 3:43.13 for the mile. They are marks that have stood the test of time, resisting attacks from several generations of athletes.
Now aged 49, he still looks in good shape. The only proof of the passing of time are some flecks of grey on his chin. When he starts to run, his distinctive smooth style is still evident, too.
On May 6 El Guerrouj was in Oxford for the Bannister Miles event to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Roger Bannister’s first sub-four-minute mile. He surprised onlookers by stretching his legs in the community mile, clocking 6:49 a few seconds ahead of Steve Cram as the two supermilers rolled back the years.
A number of legendary runners visited the event. As well as Cram, Eamonn Coghlan, Filbert Bayi and Noureddine Morceli were also to be found at the Iffley Road track. Yet none attracted as much interest as “El G”.
Swamped by selfie and autograph hunters, he patiently greeted his fans and admirers as they queued for a brief audience. He did make some time to chat with AW, though, and as our conversation ended he was whisked away to fulfil the duty of ringing the bell to signal the last lap of the main men’s mile race which was won by Ossama Meslek as four men broke four minutes.
El Guerrouj could probably walk down most streets in Britain without being recognised. At Iffley Road, however, he was among a knowledgeable audience who appreciated his achievements. His long-standing world records aside, he won four world 1500m titles outdoors, three world indoor crowns and two Olympic gold medals. Not surprisingly, he is generally regarded as the greatest middle-distance runner in history.
In 1998, as a young journalist reporting for AW and The Times, I was at the Stadio Olimpico – venue for this summer’s European Championships – when he set his world 1500m record. “I felt great the whole way,” he said after the race. “It was almost easy with the good track conditions and the excellent support of the pacemakers.”
So what would he have run if he had access to today’s super shoes and Wavelight technology? “Maybe 3:39 for the mile!” he laughs, before adding more seriously that he might squeeze inside 5:30 these days if he ran flat out.
Does he think current milers like Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Josh Kerr and Jake Wightman can threaten his records? “Jakob is a great athlete and a great runner,” he says. “He has all the potential to break my records and others from 1500m through to 3000m. He has started breaking records indoors but when it comes to outdoors those kind of races need more focus.”
El Guerrouj clearly has a good sense of humour and a mischievous side, though. He adds: “I’m happy that my world records are still alive. And I’d like them to survive a bit longer!
“I think one day they will be broken, maybe by Jakob or maybe another athlete. It is natural for this to happen. But I’m happy to be part of the history and to participate in the evolution of track and field.”
Despite his friendly manner, El Guerrouj is not an easy man to track down. In the months leading up to the Bannister Miles I had drawn a frustrating blank when it came to doing an interview online. On the anniversary day of May 6 itself he also appeared reluctant and didn’t want to do anything on video.
I soon realise this is perhaps because he’s not too confident speaking in English. He prefers Arabic or French, although his English is better than he gives himself credit for and he handles the conversation fairly easily, with his wife, who is Moroccan but speaks perfect English, only jumping into the conversation a couple of times to help out with the odd word.
El Guerrouj’s trip to Oxford was also not straightforward. He struggled with visa problems before finally being able to make the trip to the UK. Given the trouble, why did he make such an effort to be there?
“First of all, when I got the invitation from Thurstan [Bannister, one of Roger’s children] I was excited and happy but wasn’t sure if I could be part of it,” he explains. “But finally I was able to be part of it with my friends and colleagues and to be able to celebrate the whole legacy that our spiritual father left behind for the community, Britain and the world and especially for track and field. We need to see athletes like Roger Bannister who left something positive for our sport.”
El Guerrouj’s eyes light up when he talks about Bannister. “I had the privilege of meeting him in 2000 when I was invited to run at Crystal Palace in London,” he remembers. “The organisers put a special event on the track to meet Sir Roger. I was excited to meet him as it was such a great inspiration for myself and many athletes who know the history of our sport.”
What did El Guerrouj think of the original sub-four-minute miler? “He was pretty tall and very British.” At this point he struggles to explain in English and I suggest to him that he’s searching for the word ‘posh’. “Yes, posh!” he agrees. “We met at the track and walked around the track and later we met with close friends to have tea and coffee in his office.”
If Bannister is the “spiritual father” of the super milers, does El Guerrouj feel like a son? “Yes, I can say that. I respect him and I love him. He left a huge legacy behind him and I’m glad the family took the opportunity to gather everyone to celebrate the anniversary.”
As for the rapturous reception he was given in Oxford, El Guerrouj adds: “It’s always a pleasure to share with friends and I am happy to meet people who love our sport. We underestimate track and field. We have a great sport and legacy and it’s very good to meet fans.”
Such was his brilliance, El Guerrouj is known almost as much for his rare defeats as he is for his numerous brilliant victories. Fans remember him dramatically falling at the bell in the 1996 Olympic 1500m final, for example, plus his narrow shock defeat to Noah Ngeny in the 2000 Olympic 1500m final and losing at the hands of Eliud Kipchoge in a thrilling 2003 world 5000m final that also featured Kenenisa Bekele.
Talking of whom, what does El Guerrouj make of Kipchoge’s amazing marathon exploits in recent years? The Kenyan will go for a third successive Olympic gold this summer while, a few days after this interview, the 41-year-old Bekele was confirmed in the Ethiopian team for Paris.
“Kipchoge has given another dimension to the sport,” he says. “He has shown that an athlete can run well, even after being almost 40 years of age. He is an inspiration for the new generation and he is leaving a huge legacy.”
El Guerrouj stepped up in distance during his career to famously win a 1500m and 5000m double gold at the 2004 Olympics, but he never ran a marathon. I ask him what his favourite event was, fully expecting him to say the mile. But he replies: “My favourite is 1500m. It’s part of my heart. I competed in it a lot and I know every metre of this race. The mile is completely different. If you are not strong physically and mentally, you cannot run it well.”
Ingebrigtsen et al take note. The world’s greatest ever miler believes his world records are beatable,
but it won’t be easy.
“A sub-3:40 mile is possible”
Noureddine Morceli, 3:44.39 miler, three-time world and 1996 Olympic 1500m champion, believes the milers of tomorrow can close in on the 3:40 barrier for the distance.
“I want to live and see how fast human beings can go,” the 54-year-old told AW at the Bannister Miles event on May 6. “I would love to see people break 3:40 for the mile.”
The Algerian was at his peak 30 years ago but would he have run close to 3:40 if he had today’s spikes and knowledge about nutrition and training?
“It’s hard to say but it is more and more possible,” he says. “When I ran 3:44 I had to run the last 800m alone after being paced by Marcus O’Sullivan. Even in my time, if I’d had someone else to push me in the final two laps then I would have maybe run a second quicker.”
Like Hicham El Guerrouj, Morceli is a huge admirer of Roger Bannister and his exploits too.
“I was inspired by him and he will inspire many more generations after me. No one believed anyone could break four minutes but he did and he opened the door for us.”